Key-center for padlocks.



L HOOVER & G.'M. MILLER.

-KEY CENTER roa PAfiLOCKS; APPLICATION min- ""123, ma

Patented Och-9,1911.

U1 s 7 s1 JACOB HOOVER AND GEORGE M. MILLER, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNORS TO SLAYIVIAKER LOCK MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, OF LANCASTER,PENNSYL- VANIA,v A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY-CENTER FOR PADLOOKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1916. Serial No. 99,293.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J ACOB Hoovnn and GEORGE M. MILLER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Lancaster, in the county proved form of keycenter for padlocks.

Hitherto it has always been the practice.

to construct key centers from a solid plece of metal in a cylindricalform turning down the two ends to a smaller diameter, to extend throughthe walls of the case of the lock, and slotting the center its entirelength for the reception of the key. This has not only been an expensiveoperation, but it has many disadvantages as well.

The object of the present invention is to form a key center from sheetmetal, rolled and pressed into the desired form.

Another object of the invention being to form the key center withresilient lips or eX- tensions for gripping the sides of the key,

thus preventing the same from accidentally dropping out of the lock.

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in certainconstruction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fullydescribed and claimed in thespecification, and illustratedin theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, and inwhich like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all ofthe views, but it is fully understood that while we have here describedour device as shown, that we do not confine ourselves to the exactdesign, as slight changes may be made in the construction andarrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

In the drawings Figure 1, is a front elevation of the usual Fig. 3, isan enlarged end View of our im proved form of key center- Flg. 4, 1s aside elevation of the same.

Fig. 5, is a top view showing thecurves K and the extensions forgripping the'key.

Referring to the drawings, the usual lock casing is shown bythe'numeral. 1. The key center is formedfrom a piece of sheet metal 2,bent into tubular form, as shown in Fig. 3, and having the extensions orlips 4, which are of shorter length'than the key post, thus forming ashoulder 5, and providing a bearmg end 6, to freely revolve within theorifice provided in the casing 1. v

The lips are slightly curved inwardly near their centers and .as thecenter is formed from stiff or semi-resilient material, and the distancebetween the centers of the lips is lessthan' the opening in the end ofthe center, as the key is inserted in the center, the

lips willbe slightly forced apart, thus producing a frictional grip forthe key. The

' Patented Oct. 9, 1917'. p

center will revolve within the lock casing in the usual manner as thekey is turned. v V 7 Having thus described our invention what we claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A device of the'kinddescribed, consisting of a metallic sheet rolled into tubular form andcylindrical in cross-section, said tube being provided between its endswith integral lips projecting outwardly from the tube and arranged inconfronting relation and-providing shoulders beyond the ends of saidlips, said lips being curved inwardly near their centers and beingresilient, said tube being open at its opposite ends and longitudinallybetween said lips and its side walls. In testimony whereof weaffix tures-in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB HOOVER.

GEORGE M. MILLER.

our signa- Witnesses:

JOHN J. THOMPSON, A. F. SHENCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. I

